Comer to accuse Walz of ignoring large Minnesota welfare fraud in high-stakes listening to

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House Oversight Committee Republicans are readying to confront Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and state Lawyer Normal Keith Ellison at a high-stakes listening to on welfare fraud Wednesday morning.

"Whereas Governor Walz hesitated, taxpayers misplaced billions. Lawyer Normal Ellison has likewise claimed his workplace was aggressively holding fraudsters accountable, however when his statements have been examined in opposition to the file, they fell aside," Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., will say, in keeping with ready opening remarks obtained by Fox Information Digital.

"Now we have spoken with over thirty whistleblowers, lots of them present workers and Democrats, who say they have been ignored, retaliated in opposition to, and even surveilled for elevating issues. As a substitute of defending the whistleblowers, the Walz administration protected the system that enabled fraud."

Hours earlier than the listening to kicked off, the committee launched a 53-page report that accused each Walz and Ellison of understanding in regards to the fraud allegations far sooner than beforehand thought.

Home Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer accused Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz of retaliating in opposition to whistleblowers who tried to convey consideration to fraud in Minnesota. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Photographs; Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune by way of Getty Photographs)

"Whereas the Committee continues to evaluate paperwork and meet with whistleblowers, it's evident that Governor Walz and Lawyer Normal Ellison knew in regards to the fraud in federal programs administered by the State of Minnesota a lot sooner than they advised the American individuals," the report mentioned.

"Transcribed interviews with present and former public officers from the State of Minnesota have confirmed that Governor Walz and Lawyer Normal Ellison would have been conscious of fraud within the [Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)] and high-risk Medicaid applications administered by DHS as early as spring 2019 and fraud in [state food aid] applications administered by [the Minnesota Department of Education] as early as April 2020."

Each Walz and Ellison beforehand pushed again on any accusations that they knowingly allowed fraud in Minnesota's social applications, and have accused Republicans of politicizing the state of affairs.

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The high-profile listening to is the fruits of a months-long probe by the Home Oversight Committee focusing on allegations of fraud in Minnesota.

The panel beforehand interviewed present and former officers inside the state's authorities, together with these centered on meals help.

Minnesota Lawyer Normal Keith Ellison testifies earlier than the Senate Homeland Safety and Governmental Affairs Committee on Feb. 12, 2026. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg by way of Getty Photographs)

Federal prosecutors in Minnesota have charged a number of individuals with stealing more than $240 million from the Federal Little one Diet Program by the Minnesota-based nonprofit Feeding Our Future. Nonetheless, the probe has since widened to a number of state-run applications being investigated for potential fraud. Childcare suppliers receiving state funding, primarily inside the Somali neighborhood, are additionally underneath scrutiny.

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And the committee's report accused the state's progressive management of ignoring proof of fraud in a bid to appease the Somali neighborhood in Minneapolis.

"The Committee has discovered that Minnesota lacked satisfactory oversight efforts to confirm that taxpayer {dollars} have been getting used appropriately and will have stopped the move of cash to fraudsters at any time however selected to not for worry of political retribution from the politically energetic Somali neighborhood," the report mentioned.

"Additional legislative efforts on the federal degree are essential to stop this large waste, fraud, and abuse of federal {dollars} from ever taking place once more."

In his opening assertion, Comer will name the scandal "probably the most in depth breakdowns of oversight this Committee has ever examined."

"Billions of taxpayer {dollars} have been stolen from social providers applications whereas warnings piled up, whistleblowers spoke out, and state officers selected delay and denial over motion," he'll say.

"Federal prosecutors estimate that as a lot as $9 billion may have been stolen from simply fourteen Medicaid applications administered by the State of Minnesota. As our investigation has proven, it occurred as a result of state management failed, repeatedly, to intervene. What we’ve uncovered in Minnesota will not be a paperwork error or a couple of dangerous actors slipping by the cracks. It's a sustained failure of management."

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In the meantime, Democrats on the committee have accused Comer of making an attempt to distract from the fallout of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis — together with the killing of two U.S. residents by federal brokers.

"I encourage of us to observe these movies and see what’s occurred for themselves. And I’m hopeful that this committee investigates this incident and that we've full accountability," Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., mentioned throughout a earlier listening to on Minnesota fraud.

Associated Article Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox Information Digital main protection of the Home of Representatives. Earlier digital bylines seen at Every day Mail and CBS Information.